RIO RANCHO — Based on Friday, the Rio Rancho Rams have proven deserving of a second seed in the Class 5A baseball tournament.

The host Rams hit five home runs and scored 11 runs with two outs in a 15-2 win Friday afternoon over No. 15 Clovis.

“They beat the heck out of us,” Clovis coach Greg Hill said. “They’re pretty darn good.”

Winners of 12 straight, the Rams (22-4) lead the best-of-three series 1-0 and host Game 2 today at 10 a.m.

If necessary, a third game will be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2.

Rio Rancho chased starter Jake Burrell out after 1 2/3 innings. Burrell allowed 11 runs — six earned — on eight hits.

Assistant coach Drew Hatley said the Wildcats (11-16) were trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the second, and were still in the thick of things after retiring the first two Ram hitters.

But the Rams’ No. 9 hitter got hit by a pitch, and leadoff hitter Devon Conley hit a two-run homer to start an eight-run rally that later include a grand slam for Joe Sena.

“There’s not much else to say,” Hill said of the Rams, who scored three of their four fourth-inning runs with two outs. “Everything we threw up there, they hit.”

Hill said Brandon Gilliard will start in the second game.

Class 5A
First round
Best of three
Rio Rancho 15, Clovis 2
Clovis 010 01 — 2 6 3
Rio Rancho 384 0X — 15 12 2
Jake Burrell, Lane Drake (2), Stephen Encinias (3) and Derek Bennett. Alex Wehner, Joe Sena (5) and Ethan McCranie. 2B — Clovis, Omar Sosa. Rio Rancho, Blake Swihart 2 (2-3 2B 3 runs 2 RBI). HR — McCranie, Sena, Bryer Mueller, Devon Conley, Robert Rodela.